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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28268349">Ten Feet High And Rising</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/KandiSheek/pseuds/KandiSheek'>KandiSheek</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Cap/IM Bingo 2020 [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cap_Ironman Bingo 2020, Declarations Of Love, Fluff and Humor, Getting Together, Hand Feeding, Hospitals, Hurt Steve Rogers, Idiots in Love, M/M, Mutual Pining, Steve Rogers on Painkillers, Tooth-Rotting Fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:09:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,895</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28268349</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/KandiSheek/pseuds/KandiSheek</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve is high as a kite after the doctors use elephant tranqs to operate on him. Tony is severely tempted to record everything for blackmail purposes until Steve says some things that Tony never expected to hear. And suddenly it isn't so funny anymore.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Steve Rogers/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Cap/IM Bingo 2020 [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1911595</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>68</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>568</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Ten Feet High And Rising</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is a fill for the Cap/IM bingo for the free square in the middle. I hope you enjoy my attempt at humor!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tony swung the door open with his good arm, limping inside as fast as he could. “Is he –“</p><p>“He's fine,” Natasha said and the nervous tension drained out of Tony so fast it almost made him dizzy. He could see Steve's prone form through the window on the other end of the hallway and it made his stomach clench as much as it was a relief. “Well, he will be.”</p><p>“Did they operate?” Tony asked and Natasha's grimace was answer enough. “How bad?”</p><p>“They used the elephant tranqs.”</p><p>Tony sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Great. So who's on Cap watch?”</p><p>Right on cue the door to Steve's hospital room opened and Clint stepped out, looking vaguely traumatized. He took one look at them before he muttered “Thank fuck” and scurried off with a wave over his shoulder. “He asked for you! Your problem now!”</p><p>“Thanks for nothing, hawkass!” Tony called after him and Clint turned back to flip him off, pushing through the door back first. Natasha chuckled, patting Tony on the shoulder before she followed Clint.</p><p>“It shouldn't be too bad. He's had a two hour come down since the operation.”</p><p>“Who says he asked for <em>me?”</em> he called after her but Natasha just gave him an indulgent smile before she disappeared into the hallway, being utterly unhelpful. Tony sighed, silently praying for strength as he walked towards Steve's room and opened the door.</p><p>As soon as their eyes met Steve's face brightened under the bandages covering his forehead, his shoulders curling like he was going to sit up. “Tony!”</p><p>“Okay, no,” Tony said, hurrying over to gently push Steve back down. “No getting up. We've been over this. How are you feeling?”</p><p>“You're here,” Steve said, completely ignoring Tony's question. Which was a sure sign that he was still woozy as hell. Fantastic. “I thought you were earlier but you weren't.”</p><p>“I was in New York,” Tony said and Steve's brow furrowed comically before it smoothed out again and he smiled.</p><p>“Oh. Dream then.”</p><p>“Must've been,” Tony agreed as he sat down in the visitor's chair, trying not to read too much into the fact that Steve was apparently dreaming about him. Steve just said weird shit sometimes when he got like this, it didn't mean anything. As much as Tony wanted it to. “So how are you feeling? Any pain?”</p><p>“Nope,” Steve said, popping the 'p' with a sunny smile.</p><p>“Cool.” Tony fiddled with his hands, wincing at the pain in his left wrist. He silently cursed himself when Steve's eyes immediately zeroed in on his bandages.</p><p>“You're hurt,” he said in a tone that would be more appropriate at a funeral. Tony waved him off.</p><p>“'It's not broken or anything. Just gonna have to let JARVIS write my emails for a while.”</p><p>“You don't write.” Steve made a gesture with his hands that could've meant writing or horseback riding, it was anyone's guess. “You talk. A lot.”</p><p>“Sure do, buddy.”</p><p>“And your voice is...” Steve blinked as he searched for words, stretching his arms out as far as he could. “Big.”</p><p>Tony was so very tempted to get out his phone and start recording. But Steve would never forgive him if he did. Not to mention what Natasha might do.</p><p>“I like big things,” Steve said seriously and Tony had to bite his lip to swallow his laughter.</p><p>“Wow. They really have you on the good stuff, huh?”</p><p>“Good stuff,” Steve repeated and smiled, staring dreamily into the distance. Yeah, he was completely gone.</p><p>Tony looked up when someone knocked on the door, greeting the nurse as she pushed a cart into the room, smiling warmly at them.</p><p>“Good evening, Captain Rogers. How are we feeling?”</p><p>Steve made a low gurgling noise before he broke into laughter and Tony had to commend the nurse for not reacting in the slightest.</p><p>“That's good. No dizziness? Any pain?”</p><p>“Just Tony,” Steve said and Tony's heart flipped in his chest before he realized that didn't make any fucking sense. He cleared his throat, feeling his ears heat a little as he nodded at the nurse's cart.</p><p>“Is that dinner?”</p><p>“Yes.” She pulled out a plastic spoon before she uncovered the bowl, letting a cloud of steam waft over to them. “Just one serving unfortunately. He shouldn't eat too much too fast after a surgery like this.”</p><p>“Got it.”</p><p>The nurse looked between them for a moment before she smiled sheepishly, gesturing at the cart. “I'm sorry to ask, but... would you mind taking over? I have other patients to tend to and he might be more comfortable with someone he knows.”</p><p>“Oh, yeah, of course,” Tony said, getting up to fetch the bowl and spoon when he suddenly realized what she meant. “Wait, so I have to...”</p><p>“Feed him,” the nurse said, already halfway out the door. “Be careful, it's very hot. Thank you, Mr Stark!”</p><p>“Sure, no problem,” Tony said numbly, staring at the bowl of piping hot soup that he somehow had to transfer into Steve's mouth. He wasn't equipped for this.</p><p>“I'm hungry.”</p><p>Tony looked at Steve who was tapping his fingers on the blanket expectantly, his eyes firmly fixed on the bowl in Tony's hands. Well, at least he wouldn't have to force feed him.</p><p>“Okay. I flew a nuke into space. I can do this.” Tony grabbed a bunch of napkins from the cart for good measure before he gingerly sat back down at Steve's side, balancing the bowl on his knees. He held up the spoon. “I'll get some soup on this and you're gonna eat it, okay?”</p><p>“Kay,” Steve said with a little too much enthusiasm for what amounted to a simple broth, but Tony would take it. He scooped up some soup before he passed the spoon to Steve, silently glad when Steve didn't fumble it, just raised it up to his face.</p><p>“Okay. You'll have to blow on it, it's –“</p><p>Steve jammed the spoon into his mouth. A few seconds later he pulled it back out, thankfully remembering to swallow before he said anything.</p><p>“Tastes like pain.” He smacked his lips. “And chicken.”</p><p>“That's cause it's hot, you fucking – Just – give it.” Tony yanked the spoon out of Steve's hand, aggressively scooping up one more mouthful and blowing on it. “Jesus. Do I have to do everything for you?”</p><p>“I wanna do <em>everything</em> for you,” Steve said, staring intently at Tony.</p><p>“Okay, thanks, buddy.” Tony blinked. “Wait, what?”</p><p>“Are you gonna eat that?” Steve asked, looking hungrily at the spoonful of soup Tony was still holding. Tony shook his head to clear it but Steve seemed to take it as an answer, reaching for the spoon with a wobbling hand. Tony reflexively held the bowl up out of Steve's reach – and promptly spilled soup down his shirt. Great.</p><p>“Aw.” Steve pouted at the wet spot on Tony's shirt. “I wanted to eat that.”</p><p>“Yes, I'm aware,” Tony said tartly, dabbing at his chest with one of the napkins. “I'll get you another one.”</p><p>“Thanks, Tony. You're the best. Of all of them.” He didn't specify who <em>them</em> was but he looked very serious about it so Tony took it with a grain of salt.</p><p>“Sure am, buddy. Here.” Tony handed him the bowl and stood up, looking for some water he could cool it down with since Steve clearly wasn't going to wait –</p><p>But a tight grip on his arm held him back. He looked down to find Steve staring at him with huge eyes.</p><p>“Where are you going?”</p><p>Tony pointed over his shoulder. “Just to –“</p><p>“I don't want you to go,” Steve said in a watery voice and – dear god, were those <em>tears?</em> “Don't leave me.”</p><p>“Okay, okay, fuck, calm down,” Tony said quickly, planting his ass in the chair again. “Not leaving, see? Please don't cry.”</p><p>Steve sniffled pitifully, staring down into his soup, and Tony fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat. This whole situation was way over his head.</p><p>He startled when Steve suddenly handed the bowl back to him without raising his head. Tony cleared his throat. “Uh. That's yours.”</p><p>Steve shook his head with a stubborn frown on his lips until Tony sighed and grabbed the bowl. As soon as he did Steve turned to him and opened his mouth. Tony blinked.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>Steve didn't move, just kept staring at him with his mouth hanging open until it clicked.</p><p>“You want me to feed you?” Tony asked incredulously and Steve nodded.</p><p>“Please,” he said and fuck, how was Tony supposed to say no to those eyes?</p><p>He sighed. “Fuck. Okay. Fine.”</p><p>Steve's eyes lit up when Tony spooned up a bit of soup and blew on it before he carefully guided it to Steve's mouth.</p><p>“Here comes the train,” Tony said on reflex, feeling like an absolute idiot –</p><p>But then Steve gently closed his lips around the spoon, his eyes fluttering shut as he sucked on it with a loud slurp. It should've been gross. Maybe even funny or stupid or anything other than almost painfully arousing. Which was what Tony's brain decided to go with. What the fuck even.</p><p>Steve looked up at him through his lashes before he released the spoon and Tony snatched it back with a pounding heart, his breathing a little heavier than before. Fuck, what was <em>wrong</em> with him?</p><p>“More, please,” Steve said quietly and Jesus Christ, Tony's heart wasn't built for these kinds of acrobatics.</p><p>“Yeah,” he said dumbly, his voice hoarse, and Steve smiled up at him, his eyes crinkling at the corners and fuck, fucking<em> fuck</em>, Tony really shouldn't be here –</p><p>He took a steadying breath before he spooned up a bit more soup, bringing it up to his mouth to blow on it –</p><p>And dropped it back into the bowl when his wrist suddenly cramped, fingers spasming on the spoon. “Shit.”</p><p>“Are you okay?” Steve asked frantically and Tony held up his hand, giving him a tense smile.</p><p>“I'm fine. I –“ He almost swallowed his tongue when Steve grabbed his hand and guided his wrist into his lap, gingerly prodding at the bandage. He winced preemptively, about to snatch it back when Steve suddenly brought it up to his lips and pressed a kiss to it, lingering so close that Tony could feel his warm breath on his skin. Tony gulped.</p><p>“Don' wan'u hurt,” Steve slurred, forehead dropping to the back of Tony's hand and rolling side to side. “Love you.”</p><p>Tony froze.</p><p>“S' much, Tony. Y'r ev'rthing...” Steve's eyes were slipping shut, head falling back into the cushions. He didn't let go of Tony's wrist though. “Mmth best. G'night.”</p><p>Tony held his breath as he watched Steve's face go slack with sleep, tilted towards him so Tony had a prime view of Steve's lips falling open, soft and tempting –</p><p>Tony stood up abruptly, pulling his wrist out of Steve's grasp. His heart was pounding so hard he could feel it bang against his ribs, his mind reeling with Steve's words on repeat,<em> Love you, love you, love you –</em></p><p>Tony punched the emergency button and croaked “Nurse”, waiting with baited breath until a young man came in, giving him a quizzical look when he saw that Steve was asleep.</p><p>“How can I help you, Sir?”</p><p>“Someone should watch him,” Tony said, backing away towards the door. “Something came up, I gotta –“</p><p>“Oh.” The nurse checked Steve's vitals before he smiled. “He should be fine after he sleeps the rest of the tranquilizers off. You can go.”</p><p>“Okay, thank you.” Tony took one last look at Steve, feeling a frisson of guilt at the thought of him waking up alone, his bedside empty, but... but –</p><p>Fuck. Tony sighed. “That's alright. I think I'll stay.”</p><p>The nurse nodded slowly and Tony suspected he was being judged severely right now. “Alright. Call me if you need anything.”</p><p>“Thanks.”</p><p>Tony dropped back into the chair, wiping a hand across his face. He was projecting. Steve couldn't have meant what he said, he was high and loopy and hopefully wouldn't even remember this in the morning. Fuck, please don't let him remember this in the morning...</p><p>Tony groaned, head thunking against the wall. The exhaustion of the day was catching up to him, reminding him that he hadn't even showered since their mission. His stomach was growling too but now that he was sitting it felt like an impossible chore to get up and fetch himself some dinner.</p><p>Instead he closed his eyes, listening to Steve's soft breathing and hoping against hope that he could stay awake until someone else could relieve him of Steve-watch.</p><p>He was asleep before he'd finished the thought.</p><p> </p><p>It felt like barely a second had passed before a sudden noise woke him up. He squinted against the light that shone in through the window as birds chirped outside, really rubbing in the fact that he'd slept far too long. Assholes.</p><p>Tony wiped his eyes, sitting up and hissing when his bones cracked as he straightened his back with a groan. Fuck, that really hurt.</p><p>“Not getting any younger, huh?”</p><p>Tony's head whipped around and he regretted it a second later, wincing at the sudden crick in his neck. “Ow! Shit.”</p><p>“Oh crap, are you okay?” Steve asked and Tony waved him off, rubbing at his neck with a baleful glare.</p><p>“Y'know, one of these days your age's gonna catch up on you too. And when it does I'll be there to kick you when you're down.”</p><p>“Turnabout's fair play,” Steve said with a smile and Tony's stomach sank when he noticed the tension in it. Not forgotten then. Shit.</p><p>Steve seemed to notice the change in atmosphere because his smile slipped off his face, quickly replaced with a neutral mask. Tony hated it.</p><p>“Elephant tranqs,” Tony blurted before Steve could say anything, ignoring Steve's dumbfounded look at his non-sequitur. “Right? Can't do with 'em, can't do without 'em. Water under the bridge.”</p><p>Steve blinked. “What are you talking about?”</p><p>“That's what it was, right?” Tony waved a hand between them. “What you said. The soup. All that. I know not to take people's words too seriously when they're stoned, no worries. We can just forget about it.”</p><p>Steve frowned. “You think I didn't mean it?”</p><p>“Of course you didn–“ Tony did a double take. “Wait, you –“</p><p>“Meant every word,” Steve said seriously. Then he wrinkled his nose. “Maybe not... <em>every</em> word, but the gist of it? Yeah.”</p><p>“You said you love me,” Tony said dumbly and Steve's face twisted with an unreadable expression for a second before it smoothed back out.</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“As a friend though, right?” Tony asked a little desperately and Steve closed his eyes, his forehead furrowing in the way Tony hated, because it meant Steve was getting upset. “Steve?”</p><p>“That too, yes.”</p><p>“Too?” Steve didn't respond and there was a low thrum of something warm and soft and beautiful in Tony's chest, but he had to be sure, he had to hear it from Steve himself – “What did you mean, Steve? Spell it out for me.”</p><p>Steve looked like he would rather jump off a cliff than be here right now but he took a deep breath before he met Tony's eyes head on, always so brave in the face of a challenge. “I'm in love with you, Tony.”</p><p>For a second Tony couldn't breathe. Then it was as though his chest expanded, warmth and happiness blooming in his heart, and Steve must've seen it because his eyes widened very subtly.</p><p>“You –“</p><p>“Are in desperate need of a better date than feeding you boiling hot soup?” Tony asked with a dawning smile. “Cause this one sucked, Rogers.”</p><p>Steve's grin looked like the sun was rising on his face, blinding and beautiful, and Tony couldn't stop himself from returning it in equal measure. “Well. If I can't do better than that feel free to kick me to the curb.”</p><p>“I'll keep that in mind.”</p><p>For a second they just stared at each other and if Tony's smile was even half as sappy as Steve's then they were both in serious trouble.</p><p>“I'll, uh –“ Tony pointed his thumb towards the door. “I gotta get back to... um...”</p><p>“Oh, yeah, of course,” Steve said and Tony saw the subtle way his face fell. “You probably have better things to do than –“</p><p>Tony lurched forward and kissed him. He had a quick panic moment as soon as their lips touched, an 'oh my god it's happening' that came and went in the time it took for Tony to tangle his hand in Steve's hair and pull him even closer.</p><p>After that is was just... nice. If nice was Tony's heart practically beating out of his chest, only amplified by the fact that he could feel Steve's doing the exact same thing.</p><p>“Let me know about that date,” Tony said right against Steve's lips before he pulled away, meeting Steve's stunned look with a smirk as he straightened up and walked towards the door.</p><p>“Hey, Tony.”</p><p>He turned back around to find Steve looking at him with a fond smile.</p><p>“Thanks for the soup. Best I've ever had.”</p><p>Tony snorted, chuckling at the self-satisfied grin that spread on Steve's face before he opened the door and left, feeling lighter than air.</p><p>He'd have to ask the nurse for the recipe.</p>
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